Telex release

A telex release lets a consignee collect cargo without the original bill of lading: the shipper surrenders the originals to the carrier at origin, and the carrier tells its destination office to release the goods. It saves couriering paper, for a fee — USD 35 at Maersk on US and Canadian exports from June 2026.

How it works

Maersk describes a telex release as an electronic cargo release that replaces the physical submission of original bills at destination: the shipper surrenders the original B/L at the origin port, and the release travels as a message. ONE's Hong Kong office asks for the full set of originals, each endorsed by the shipper on the back, or — if the originals were never printed — an original letter of indemnity.

Why the full set must come back

An order bill is a document of title. Under US law, a carrier that delivers goods without taking and cancelling a negotiable bill is liable to anyone who later buys that bill in good faith (49 U.S.C. § 80111). Surrendering every original at origin is what lets the carrier release at destination safely.

What it costs

Worked example

The mistake people make

Surrendering before being paid. Once the originals are surrendered and the release sent, the consignee can collect; a seller that wanted the bill as security for payment has given it up. If the buyer has already paid or is trusted, a sea waybill from the start does the same job with no surrender step.